The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence:
From the Slow Death of
Traditional AI to truly Intelligent Machines and Cyborgs

by Kevin Warwick

University of Reading

Great Britain

A modern perspective will be given to the status
of traditional AI via up to date results from such as the Turing Immitation
Game and an assessment of how traditional AI relates to artificial Life. A
look will then be taken at some of the exciting projects presently ongoing
which involve the direct connection between artificial and real neural
networks. This will include biological neural tissue being grown in order to
control robot technology, the use of artificial neural nets to predict the
behaviour of human neural nets for medical/corrective purposes and finally
the possibilities inherent with human enhancements.

Professor
Kevin
Warwick is presently Professor of Cybernetics at the University of
Reading, where he carries out research in artificial intelligence, control,
robotics and biomedical engineering. He is also Director of the University
KTP Centre, which links the University with Small to Medium Enterprises.
Kevin took his first degree at Aston University, followed
by a PhD and a research post at Imperial College, London. He subsequently
held positions at Oxford, Newcastle and Warwick universities before being
offered the Chair at Reading.
He has been awarded higher doctorates (DScs) both by Imperial College and
the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague. He was presented with The Future of
Health technology Award from MIT (USA), was made an Honorary Member of the
Academy of Sciences, St.Petersburg, was awarded the university of Malta
medal from the Edward De Bono Institute and received The IEE Achievement
Medal in 2004.
Kevin carried out a series of pioneering experiments involving the
neuro-surgical implantation of a device into the median nerves of his left
arm in order to link his nervous system directly to a computer to assess the
latest technology for use with the disabled. He was successful with the
first extra-sensory (ultrasonic) input for a human and with the first purely
electronic communication experiment between the nervous systems of two
humans. His research has been discussed by the US White House Presidential
Council on BioEthics, The European Commission Group on Ethics in S & T and
has led to him being widely referenced and featured in academic circles as
well as appearing as cover stories in several magazines.
His work is now used as material in several advanced Level Physics courses
in the UK and in many University courses including Harvard, Stanford, MIT &
Tokyo. His implants are on display in the Science Museums in London and
Naples. As a result, Kevin regularly gives invited Keynote presentations
around the world at top international conferences.
Kevin’s research involves robotics and he is responsible (with Jim Wyatt)
for Cybot, a robot exported around the world as part of a magazine “Real
Robots”. Robots designed and constructed by Kevin’s group (Ian Kelly, Ben
Hutt) are on permanent interactive display in the Science Museums in London,
Birmingham and Linz.
Kevin has produced
almost 500 publications on his research including more than 100 refereed
journal articles and 25 books. Kevin received the EPSRC Millenium Award
(2000) for his schools robot league project and is the youngest ever person
to become a Fellow of the City and Guilds of London Institute.
His research has featured in many TV and film documentaries. In 2002 he was chosen by the IEE as one of the top
10 UK Electrical Engineers. Kevin also appeared as one of 30 “great minds on
the future” in the THES/Oxford University book – Predictions – with
J.K.Galbraith, Umberto Eco and James Watson.
Kevin’s research is frequently referred to by other authors. Kevin’s research has also been selected by National
Geographic International for a 1 hour documentary, entitled “I,Human” to be
screened in 2006.